Alumni · Norwood, Adelaide
They started where your athlete is now.
Four athletes who trained in this room. None of them arrived finished. Every one of them did years of unglamorous work before anything on this page happened.
We put these names up for one reason: so you can see the road, not the destination. The interesting part of each of these stories isn't the medal — it's the fourteen-year-old walking into a gym in Norwood on a Tuesday, then doing it again the next Tuesday, for years.
Izzy Borlase — basketball
Then
Came in as a junior, 4 years ago.
Now
WNBA, Atlanta Dream
Paris 2024 Olympic bronze medallist (Australian Opals)
2026 WNBL MVP — youngest since Liz Cambage in 2011
Hattie Shand — hockey
Then
Came from SASI wanting to make the national squad.
Now
Hockeyroos — Paris 2024 Olympics squad
Currently competing internationally
James Borlase — AFL
Then
Walked in at 16.
Now
AFL — Adelaide Crows, signed a two-year extension in September 2024
“After 2 solid years coming two to three times a week I feel quicker, stronger and more agile than I thought I could ever be. They know what it is like to compete at the highest level of professional sport and made sure my body was ready to go head-first into that environment. I got through my first AFL preseason with no injuries where other first years' bodies couldn't handle the work load.”
Tayla Brazel — basketball
Then
Came in as a young basketballer; her mum found us through close friends.
Now
Adelaide Lightning (WNBL)
SASI scholarship athlete
“Being an elite sportsperson Tayla needs to be continually challenged and the training that she does at The Nth Degree is something that is an extension of her regular trainings. We chose The Nth Degree because close friends of ours recommended it and she has not looked back. The coaches made Tayla feel very comfortable from day 1.”
Same gym, two pathways
Izzy and James are brother and sister. Both came through The Nth Degree. Both ended up at the top of their sports — one in basketball, one in football. Same room, two completely different roads out of it.
That's the honest version of what a gym like this does. It doesn't produce a type. It builds a base that holds up under whatever the athlete's sport asks of it next.
What this page isn't
It isn't a claim. We didn't make these athletes — their clubs, their coaches, their families and their own stubbornness did most of it. What we did was build the physical base underneath and keep them on the floor while they got good.
It also isn't a promise. Nobody can tell you what your athlete will be at 22. What we can tell you is what the road looked like for the ones on this page: years of it, two or three times a week, mostly boring, mostly unwitnessed.
Who's gonna be next?
Where: 32 Magill Road, Norwood SA 5067
Academies: Foundations (8–13) · Advanced (13–18)
Coached by: people who competed there themselves
Common questions
Did The Nth Degree make these athletes?
No. They made themselves — with their clubs, their coaches, their families and a very long run of ordinary weeks. What we did was build the physical base underneath it and keep them on the floor. We'd rather tell you that than sell you the other version.
How long did they train here?
Years, not months. Two to four years each, mostly two to three sessions a week alongside their sport. Nobody on this page came in and got fast in a term.
Do you only take athletes who are already elite?
No. Every athlete here started as somebody's kid who was decent at their sport. Izzy Borlase walked in as a junior. James Borlase walked in at 16. The point of the room is the road, not the arrival.
What sports have your alumni come from?
Basketball, AFL football, hockey, netball and tennis, among others. Alumni have gone on to AFL, AFLW, the WNBA, Olympic medals, NCAA scholarships and international competition.
How do I know whether my athlete is ready for this?
Book a trial and we'll tell you honestly. If they're too young for the Advanced floor they belong in Foundations; if this isn't the right room for them at all, we'll say so. Call 0422 427 126 or book a trial session.